The manufacturing of implant-supported dental restorations often include a complex series of design steps requiring multiple patient-dentist visits, and interactions with a manufacturing dental laboratory before completion of a final dental device. Implant-supported dentures may include a metal support bar that supports denture teeth and acrylic gingiva, and attaches to patient implants. Design and manufacture of the support bar further complicates the denture making process.
Metal bars used to connect a denture to implants may stabilize and strengthen the device to avoid breakage. However, fitting a denture onto the bar can be difficult and often imprecise. Further, it may be difficult to preserve the registration of the bar and the try-in denture during removal from a plaster model, try-in stage and/or transportation of the devices between the dentist and laboratory.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,692,254 described an apparatus and method for fastening a denture plate with artificial teeth to a plurality of implants screwed into the bone. A rigid metal bar is prepared that registers with implants and is affixed to a denture plate. Screws passing through holes in the bar attach the bar and denture plate to implants are described as distributing tooth forces among implants. US2013/0252203 describes a dental bridge armature designed to be screw-fastened onto dental implants and includes reinforcing elements formed by long fibres pre-impregnated with resin. The armature is then included in a PMMA coating by a pressing or injection technique.
Commonly owned US 2014/0255873, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety describes an implant-supported denture device made from a material that may not require a separate substructure. It may comprise a monolithic component, with gingival and teeth regions, that attaches directly to implants. A ceramic monolithic component having all ceramic teeth and gingiva lacks acrylic avoiding breakage that may occur in traditional dentures.